Immigration Stories

Interview Description Esmerelda interviews her husband, Rogelio, about coming to the US at age 6 and the values his family instilled in him. Facilitator Subject Log 11:20 Rogelio remembers going to the market and asking the Chinese shopkeeper for "ajo" because he couldn't say garlic. The man understood. 13:45 Drafted and went to Ft. Lewis, WA. He didn't tell his mother until the day before. At Ft. Lewis they told him he wasn't required to go to...

Interview Description Felix Sepúlveda (77) is interviewed by his son, Carl Sepúlveda about coming to the United States from Perú to do his medical residency in Florida. Facilitator Subject Log 1:25 Felix landed in Miami as a medical student working as a intern in the emergency room 12:16 moving to Houston from Florida; loved Florida because it was similar to Perú; finished residency in pediatrics 19:34 Felix's mother encouraged him to stay...

Interview Description Sylvia Serafin y su amiga Sara Zapata de Mijares comparten con José Serafin y Arlene Quiñones las historias de su vida, incluyendo sus años en México, y su pasión e involvimiento en el desarrollo comunitario y la conservación de la cultura Maya Yucateca. [Sylvia Serafin and her friend Sara Zapata de Mijares share with José Serafin y Arlene Quiñones their life stories, including their years in Mexico, and their commitment and passion for community development and the conservation...

Interview Description Thelma Perales Shelton (59) talks with daughter Vanessa Reyes Vara (38) & granddaughter Valencia Vara (12) about her childhood. Facilitator Subject Log 01:10 Thelma talks about her family's ancestral roots in Guanajuato, Mexico. She has also traced her family's history back to Spain and the Moorish Empire. 09:00 Thelma talks about her mother working for a cigar company when she was 9-years-old. There weren't child labor laws...

Interview Description Michelle Souza (58) talks to her friend Laura Richarz (58) about her mother Blase Camacho Souza. Facilitator Subject Log 01:00 Michelle's mother Blase was born in Hawaii but was of Puerto-Rican descent. She talks about her mother's parents and her birth. 01:50 Michelle talks about the origins of her mother's name "Blase. " 07:20 Michelle talks about her mother moving from Hawaii to New York City to attend the Pratt...

Interview Description José Suarez (45), his wife, Alejandra Suarez (42) and his father-in-law, Anastasio Ramirez (78) talk about their lives, immigrating to the US from Mexico. Facilitator Subject Log 01:39 Anastosio (78) recuerda criar sus hijos como padre soltero. Tuvo que ser padre y madre. 3:01 Anastosio recuerda como cuidaba a sus hijas cuando estaban enfermas. 4:05 Anastasio era un comerciante de frutas y verduras en Mexicali....

Interview Description Candy Maria Torres (56) talks with Whitney Henry-Lester about her Puerto Rican ancestry. Facilitator Subject Log 00:45 Candy's parents grew up in Puerto Rico, but both moved to Harlem and lived there during the Great Depression. 09:30 Candy talks about how her mother and father met. She also recalls how her mother got into fights when she was younger and how her father really loved the feistiness in her mother. 15:35...

Interview Description Emma Torres y su compañera de trabajo Maria Chavoya platican sobre la vida laboral de Emma, su papel dentro del sindicato de trabajadores campesinos (UFW, por sus siglas en Ingles), el declive del sindicato y sus logros y aspiraciones educativas. [Emma Torres and her coworker Maria Chavoya talk about Emma's work life, her role in the United Farm Workers union (UFW), the union's decline, and Emma's educational achievements and aspirations.] ...

Interview Description Facilitator, Jorge Rios (24) interviews Emma Torres (52) about her experiences in farmworking, her involvement in the United Farm Workers and the Cesar Chavez movement, and her education and work today. Facilitator Subject Log 00:53 Emma talks about Campesinos Sin Fronteras, of which she is the founder and Executive Director. CSF advocates for farmworkers. 02:23 Emma talks about her childhood as a migrant farmworker, and her...

Interview Description Gladys Torres (54) talks with her son Juan Pablo Martinez (31) about leaving Colombia to be a nurse in the United States. Facilitator Subject Log 02:30 Gladys talks about the conversation she had with Juan Pablo when he was ten years old about coming to the United States to be a nurse. 11:00 Juan Pablo remembers when his mother would sell brownies on the bus in Colombia in order to save money for her trip to the United States....